THE BOROUGH OF CHAPMAN

THE borough of Chapman is located on the west branch of Monocacy Creek, 
in the southern part of the territory of Moore township. Its borough 
existence has been but brief, the incorporation having been effected in the 
year 1865. The population of the borough, in the census of 1870, was three 
hundred and eighty-eight. 

  It now contains
two churches
a post-office
one store
one hotel
one school-house
a machine-shop owned by J. Henwood
the offices and shops of the slate companies
about sixty dwellings
Of these dwellings, a great part are owned by the Chapman Slate
Company; and these are rented to their workmen. Others are owned by the 
workmen themselves.

  A fine and substantial residence is owned and occupied by Richard Chapman, 
Esq., the Superintendent of the quarries.

  At the laying out of the town the land was owned entirely by the company, 
who name it a condition of the sale of each lot, that no malt, vinous, or 
spirituous liquors should ever be sold on the premises. This condition has 
thus far been strictly observed, and its salutary effect on the metals and 
prosperity of the place, is very noticeable.

  The inhabitants, almost without exception, are those who are directly or 
indirectly engaged in that great industry, which first brought into 
existence, and still sustains, the town; and as a consequence, the history 
of the borough is fully embraced and comprehended, in the history of

                     THE CHAPMAN SLATE QUARRY.

  These are to-day the most noted, its well as the best and most extensively 
worked slate quarries in America. Their management has been brought to a 
stage of great perfection, and the excellence of the slate produced is such 
as to commend them to the favorable notice, not only of American, but also 
of European purchasers and consumers.

  The master-spirit in the opening of these quarries, in perfecting their 
management, and in raising the quantity, quality, and general reputation of 
their product, is WILLIAM CHAPMAN, a gentlemen of Cornish extraction, whose 
father was a soldier under the Iron Duke, and fought with him at Waterloo; 
and it was near that bloody field that William Chapman was born, in the 
year 1816; his mother having gone thither to nurse her husband, after the 
battle, and remained there for many months.

  Mr. Chapman-who was a practical slater-emigrated to America, and settled 
in Northampton county in 1842. The quarries were opened and worked in 1850, 
but it was not until March 29th, 1864, that the company was incorporated by 
special Act of the Legislature.

The corporators were: 

William Chapman
Richard Chapman
George W. Walton
Augustus Wolle
Charles. Brodhead. 

On the eighteenth day of April, 1864, 
Mr. Chapman was elected President
Charles Brodhead, Secretary
George W. Walton, Treasurer

In 1865

Directors
William Chapman
Augustus Wolle
William J. Curler
Robert H. Sayre
Charles Brodhead

William Chapman was elected President and Treasurer 

Charles Brodhead, Secretary.

This Board continued in office, until 1867, when James S. Mason and E. M. 
Clymer were elected in place of Charles Brodhead and Augustus Wolle, 
resigned, William Cuner was elected Secretary.

  January 7th, 1867, the capital stock was increased to $400,000.

  In 1868, A G. Brodhead was elected Director, vice 
D. M. Clymer, resigned. The other directors and officer, were re-elected.  

In 1869, C. H. Dickerman was elected a Director, vice 
Robert H. Sayre, resigned.

The old officers were re-elected May 24th, 1869 C. H. Dickerman was 
appointed Secretary
vice, William J. Cuner, resigned. 

January 10th. 1871, Samuel Seem was elected a Director, vice
William J. Caer, resigned January 12th, 1875, 
John Brown was elected Director, in place of Samuel Seem, resigned.

 January 11th, 1876, a Board, consisting of William Chapman, H S. Paul, 
C. H. Dickerman, S. A. Bisfuram, and John Brown, was elected; and again 
elected in 1877. The officers continue the same since, 1869. Richard 
Chapman was appointed Superintendent in 1870, and continues in that office 
to the present time.

  Since the incorporation of the company in 1864, there have been produced 
and sold 370,507 45-100ths squares of roofing slate. The value of the 
production was, for the same time, $2,293,365.36 -being an average yearly 
production of 28,500 57-100ths squares, at an average value of $176,412.72. 
Dividends amounting to ninety-two per cent. of the capital stock have been 
declared and paid, and a surplus of $138,640.16 accumulated. There are 
now about two hundred and twenty-five men employed. The machinery of the 
company is estimated to be worth $63,185.97; consisting of stationary 
engines, boilers, derricks. etc.

  The company erected, in 1876, a factory for sawing, planing, and 
manufacturing their material into billiard, bagatelle, table, and counter 
tops; cisterns, mantels, lintels, blackboards, window sills, copings, 
stairways, floor tiles, ridge poles, flagging, etc. Their investment in 
this new branch of business was $40,000.


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                         THE KEYSTONE SLATE QUARRIES

  Are also located in the borough. Their operations are similar to, but far 
less extensive than, those of the Chapman Company.

  The total travel and freight of the borough and quarries passes over 
THE LEHIGH AND LACKAWANNA RAILROAD. This road, which is completed and 
running to the Chapman quarries-graded to the Wind Gap, ten miles beyond 
Chapman-and whose objective point is Stroudsburg, on the Delaware.

  Lackawanna and Western Railroad, was incorporated on the first day of 
May 1861, under the title of the "Bethlehem Railroad Company," with the 
right to construct a railroad from Bethlehem to Bath, the iron ore and 
limestone along the proposed line being the chief inducement to its 
construction.

  Hon. Charles Brodhead, of Bethlehem, was the projector of the enterprise; 
its first President, and the person who finally succeeded in completing the 
portion which is now in operation. Sections of the road were graded in 1862 
and 1864, but there being no railroad on the north side of the Lehigh, no 
other companies could be induced to give aid to the enterprise.

  In 1864, the slate interests of Northampton county began to become of 
great importance. In that year, the Chapman Slate Company was organized by 
Messrs. William Chapman, Augustus Wolle, and Charles Brodhead. The immense 
product of this quarry made a railroad almost a necessity, and the charter 
ofthe Bethlehem Railroad Company was so amended as to authorize the 
extension of the road to Stroudsburg, and the name was changed to "The 
Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad Company," by supplement, dated April 8th, 1864.

  In the fall of 1866, Mr. Brodhead succeeded in making an arrangement with 
the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company by which that company agreed to 
advance the moneys necessary to complete the railroad to the Chapman 
quarries, and under that arrangement, the road was finished; and the first 
train ran through to Bath on Thanksgiving Day, 1867.

  The road is now operated by the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, 
under a lease. While the road has not been profitable to the stockholders 
of the company, it has been of inestimable value to the section of the 
country which it traverses, and a great convenience to the residents, of 
the central portion of Northampton, by reason of the facilities  it affords 
for reaching New York, Philadelphia, and the county-seat.

  Several new slate quarries have been opened in the neighborhood of the 
Chapman quarry, and a number of iron-ore mines, lately opened along the 
line, are regularly bringing all annual increase of freight to the business 
ofthe company.

  The survey of the South Mountain and Boston Railroad line intersects the
Lehigh and Lackawanna road about two miles above the present terminus;
and when the same shall be completed, the Lehigh and Lackawanna Road
will have connections west and north, which will add largely to its business.

The present officers of the company are 

Charles Brodhead, President
S. Shepperd, Secretary and Treasurer 
E. W. Clark
E. L. Cope
John Leisering
Augustus Wolle

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